Projectile.



J. B.` SEMPLE.

PROJECTILE.

APPucATloN nLED fzs. a, 1915.

1, 172,637. Patented Feb. 22,l 1916.

FIEJ.

l. "l n y Edif jm@ ,55m mmm@ UNTTED STATES PATENT oEEIcE.

JOHN B. SEMPLE, F SEWIGKLEY, PENNSYLVANIA.

PROJECTILE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Appiieaaon mea February s, 1915. semi No. 5,886.

To all whom t may concern.' 1

. Be it knownl that I, J oHN. B. SEMPLE, residing at Sewickley, in thecounty of Alle'- gheny and State of Pennsylvania, a citizen of theUnited States, have invented or discovered certain new and usefulImprovements in Projectiles, of which improvement the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to an improvement in projectiles. i

`It is illustrated] in the4 accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 isa view in longitudinal central section of the posterior end of aprojectile 153m which my present invention is embodied; Fig. 2 is a Viewin cross section of the fuse stock of the projectile of Fig. 1, theplane of section being indicated by the line II--II,`

Fig. l; and Fig. 3 is a view in cross section illustrating a detail ofconstruction, thev plane of section being indicated by the hne III-III,Fig. 1.

In a co-pending` apphcation, Serial No.

- 835,131, -filed Aprily 29, 1914, and allowed August 5, 1914, I havedescribed and claimed a projectile including in its structure amovablemember controlling detonation, a member which, when in normalinoperative position, does not afford the impartation of detonation fromdetonator to burster charge, but which, when under'the conditions offiring it has moved from its normal inoperative position to operative yposition, establishes detonation communication from detonator to burstercharge. In

that application I have shown and describedl and specically claimed onespecific arrangement of such instrumentalities as I have just indicated.

In a second co-pe'igujling` application', filed January 29, 1915, SerialNo. 5022, I have shown another specific form of such means. In thisapplication I show and describe still j another specific means of the4nature indicated.

Detonation is a phenomenon exhibited by certain substances termedhighexplosives.

It is a sudden, substantially instantaneous,l

and tremendously powerful breaking down 5o of the whole body,- and ismany times more powerful than the explosion of an equal amount of blackpowder. Detonation is imparted not by4 physical transfer of matter, likea iiash traversing a duct; it is an impulse, and is transmitted likeelectricity through a suitable conductor; it will not Patented Feb. 22,1916.

traverse wide air gapsf (Under conditions tioned are, by reason of theirinsensitive` ness, Well adapted to use for the burster charges ofexplosive projectiles; the problem attending their use being how toeffect their detonation at the proper time. 'lhe high explosives of thesecond class, though unsuitable because of their extreme sensi-vtiveness to be used in relatively large masses as burster charges forprojectiles, are well suited to be use d in small masses and inintermedlate position'betweenthe percussion lcap of an explosiveprojectileand the burster charge of inert high explosive, to bedetonated on the flash of the cap and to impart detonation to theburster charge. In such an arrangement the problem is to safeguard theburster charge against detonation in case of accidental and prematuredetonation of the intermediate charge (commonly called the detonator)Various expedients in the prior art involve the use of detonators whichare movable from remote and innocuous to proximate anddetonation-imparting position adjacent the burster charge. Myapplication first referred to (Serial No.

835,131, now Patent No. 1,131,161) involves such an arrangement.

The invention of my application Serial No. 5022, is directed to the useof a stationary detonator together with suitable control of a Vpath ofdetonation transmission from detonator to burster"char,f ,e .f1 Mypresent inventionl isa further improvement in that samearrangementgz.

In this case, asfn the case second mentioned above, B is the boostercharge which, as in those other cases, I shallsimply consider as part ofthe burster charge. l

D is the detonator arranged within its safety chamber 14, and in this case having no lnormal motion of translation.' The mission, (which may bemade or broken),

is e'ective to preserve the burster charge B safe from detonation incase of the lpremature explosion of the detonator D. The

.safety chamber 14 is provided to receive the gases of explosion andrelieve the intensity of the stresses incident to a premature detonationof-detonator D. A

Through the heavy wall alluded to, which normally' separates the burstercharge B and the detonator D, extends a column 13 ofdetonation-transmitting material, the continuity of whichl column isnormally interrupted'by a space in which move two complementary bolts6-6. These two bolts 6 are movable under 'stre or strain incident totheiring and flight of a projectile from a gun as, for example,conveniently by centrifugal force exerted upon them by the rotatlon ofthe projectile, and to this end the space in whichthey move is a runwaywhich is more or less exactly radial. The members themselves areprovided each with a column of detonation-transmitting material and themembers 6 themselves are `spring-backed. as indicated, the springsnormally holding the members 6 in position shown in Fig. 1.

When the parts are 1n the position shown in Fig. 1 it'will be observedof columns 12 of 'detonation-transmitting material with which the'twobolts are provided, that `they are remote one from another and from themain column 13; and it will be understood that when in the iight of theprojectile from a rifled gun these bolts slide outward each against thetension ofits backing spring, these two columns 12 will be brought intoregister one with another and with the main column 13, to forma-continuous path of detonation transmission from detonator to burstercharge. A plurality of these members is provided to this end.:I In caseof a jar or shock vaccidentall imparted to the projectile when assembed, coinciding or substantially coinciding with' the direction ofpossible movement of one of these members, the member may yield aside,and so be accidentallyshifted to detonation-transmitting or armedposition. With two members yie ding in different directions, no shockcan: arm them both at once and so, by the provision of two, a secureprovision is made against accidental` arming. v

With these general and prefatory explanations, it will be understoodthat the runway 3 in which the membersv 6 are movable will preferably bea single runway extending diametrically across the center of rotation ofthe projectile, and that the members 6 are so weighted that theircenters of gravyity lie on opposite sides of the center 'of rotation.Means are provided `for holding the two members 6 when once they havebeen brought to operative or armed position against retraction. Anypreferred locking means may be employed. I have found it well to providea spring-backed-lo'ck 7 lying in a recess in one of the contacting facesupon which the two members 6 move, one with respect to the other, and inproviding in the other and complementary member va recess 1 5 into whichthe locking block 7 under spring pressure will be thrown when the recess16 comes into register with it, which will be when the two members 6have moved to armed position, and their pathways 12 alined with andforming part of detonation .pathway .13.

With this explanation the operation will be fully understood. l When theparts are in the unarmed posi tion shown in Fig. 1, no shockcommunicated in any direction will be effective to throw both of themoving members 6 to armed position. So that always prior to firing thepath of detonation transmission will be interrupted by at least onemember,

and in case of premature explosion of de! tonator D the burster chargeB'cannotf be detonated. When `hovvever the lprojectile has been red froma rlfled gun, both' members 6 will move outward, the `Sprngswhichnormally hold them to inoperative position www:

As explained in the second of my pending I applications mentioned above,the pathway 13, and the pathways 12, in the movable mitting materialsuch, for example, as trinitro-toluene.

I claim as my'invention:

1. In an explosivaprojectile the combination of a burster charge2 adetonator, a path of detonation transmission extending between saiddetonator and said burster charge, a plurality of detonation controllingmembers movable in different directions in a breakin said path frompositions in which the path is interrupted to positions in which thepath is continuous.

2. In an explosive projectile the combinal tion of a burster charge, adetonator, and a path of detonation transmission from said detonatorlto. 1said burster charge, a air of oppositely movable centrifugal bo tsarranged in a break in said path, each of said bolts provided with asupplementary path m parts 6 will be formed4 of detonation transofdetonation transmission, the movement of said boltsypermitting thealinement of such supplementary paths'with one another and with the mainpath, and a locking means automatically securing said bolts against r`e'verse movement when once they have 1n.

Imeansarran ed in the overlapping faces o said bolts.

4. In an. exploslve projectile the comblnaisiolp of al burster chargeand a detonator arranged on opposite sides, of .a dividing wall, a boreextending through said wall, a second P` Jb'ore crossing the bore firstnamed and exfpdf/ald/Iilling the bores in the said pair of bolts.

to and on either side Erojectlle as a olts movable tendingstransverselymittingfniaterial filling the bore first named 5. In an explosiveprojectile the combination of a burster charge, a detonator, a wallseparating said detonator from said burster charge, a pair of oppositelymovable over- -lapping centrifugal bolts arranged in a runvvay formed insaid Wall, and a detonation path formed in said wall from said detonatorto said burster charge and'made continuous through said bolts when movedoppositely under `centrifugal force.

.6. In kan explosive projectile a burster charge the projectile and inits shane consisting of a larger main body and anvattenuated extension,and', in combination'witha burster charge soIShaped, a detonatorarranged at the remote end of said extension, and a make-and-breakdevice arranged in said'extension'of the bursterV charge, such'make-'and-break device including'a plurality of parts movable each in adifferent direction from a position of interruption 4to a position inwhich the continuity of the`,said ex tension of the burster charge isestablished through it.

. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

' JOI-IN B. SEMPLE.

Witnesses: vBAYARD H. CHRISTY, v FRANCIS J. ToMAssoN.

of high explosive arranged Within

